Chapter 2

The rest of the week flew by and the weekend had arrived. Rachel and Eddie went to a doctor's appointment in the week and they said they she was about 4 weeks gone.

Eddie had just finished work and picked Taylor up from his Mum's on Friday and decided to tell Taylor about Rachel, to give her some time to think things through before Rachel came over for dinner the next day.

"Why don't you go upstairs and get changed and then I have something I need to talk to you about" Eddie instructed to his daughter

Taylor went up to her bedroom and got changed feeling puzzled about what it was that her Dad wanted to talk to her about. She came back down into the lounge where her Dad was sat on the sofa, he patted a spot on the sofa intending for her to come and sit there.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about Dad?" Taylor asked

Eddie said nothing for a few moments, instead he just took a piece of her silky, blonde hair and put it behind her ear.

"You know I love you very, very much right?" Eddie said

"Yes"

"Well what I'm about to tell you doesn't change anything. Do you remember Rachel from my school? You met her when you came into school with me that day last year."

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Well she's my, my girlfriend" Eddie said placing a gentle hand on Taylor's shoulder, but she shrugged him off.

Taylor just looked at her Dad with a blank expression on her face and didn't say anything.

"Well how do you feel about it?"

"I don't know. What does it matter what I think?"

"Because you're my little girl and you're always going to come first for me. So I'm not going to do anything that you don't feel happy about"

"It's fine, I don't mind Dad" Taylor said as she went to get upstairs

"Hang on a second Tay, there's something else" Eddie said

"What?"

Eddie paused for a moment as he didn't really know how to tell Taylor about the baby. What sort of an example was he setting to his daughter.

"Rachel's pregnant"

"Pregnant? She's pregnant? What do you mean she's pregnant Dad?"

"Me and Rachel are going to have a baby, you're going to have a brother or sister"

"I do know what pregnant means Dad. Well that's great I guess"

"Really, you really think that?" Eddie questioned

"Yes. Now I've got some homework to do Dad."

"Okay darling, well I've invited her around for dinner tomorrow so that you two can meet. And she's also bringing her nephew, Phil, with her because he lives with her"

Eddie was very surprised by how accepting Taylor had been about him and Rachel, and especially about the baby. He was expecting her to get angry or upset, but she hadn't. She just seemed to have carried on as if nothing had changed. Eddie walked into the kitchen feeling relieved that he'd told his daughter about Rachel.

...

The following day Rachel was waiting anxiously to leave to go to Eddie's. She really wanted Taylor to like her and be able to accept her, but she just wasn't sure at how easy this was going to be. Finally it was time to head to Eddie's so she shouted to Philip and the two of them drove to Eddie's.

Eddie was in the kitchen hoping that tonight was going to go smoothly when the doorbell rang. He went and shouted to Taylor and then went to let Rachel and Philip in.

"Hiya, come on in" Eddie said as he opened the door

"Thanks for having us over tonight Eddie" Rachel said

"Yeah thanks Eddie" Phil added

"Taylor, Rachel and Phil are here. Are you going to come down and say hello?" Eddie called to his daughter once again.

Taylor reluctantly left her room and came downstairs. She didn't want them in her house to be perfectly honest, but what choice did she have. She wanted her Dad to be happy, of course she did, but she didn't want to be forgotten about.

"Hello you must be Taylor" Rachel said as Taylor walked into the lounge where Eddie, Rachel and Phil were

"Hi" Taylor replied shyly

"This is Philip, my nephew" Rachel informed Taylor

"Hello" Philip replied in his usual awkward way

Taylor just smiled. She didn't really want to be here right now, she just wanted another Saturday night in with just her Dad. Taylor walked into the kitchen and Eddie followed her.

"Sorry, I'll just be a minute" he exclaimed

"Taylor, are you sure you're okay with Rachel and Philip coming over for dinner?" Eddie asked as he walked into the kitchen

"Yes"

Taylor and Eddie went back into the lounge, where she reluctantly had to engage in a conversation. Soon the beeper went off informing Eddie that the lasagne was cooked. Lasagne was one of the rare meals that Eddie could actually cook really well.

The four of them sat down at the table to eat their dinner.

"This is delicious Eddie" Rachel exclaimed

Throughout the rest of the meal Rachel tried to connect with Taylor, but all she seemed to be getting out of her was one word answers. It was clear to Rachel that Taylor was unhappy about the situation and Rachel wished she could do something to make her feel better about it. The question was just what.

Once everyone had finished and everything had been cleared away Eddie asked Taylor to get the ice cream out of the freezer.

"So that's all you want me for now, is it? To run around after all of you. I suppose that all that matters now is that baby. I'm just not important anymore" Taylor snapped before stomping into the kitchen to get the ice cream out of the freezer.

Something in her just snapped. All of the feelings and emotions that she had been trying to conceal just came out of her. She walked back into the kitchen and placed the ice cream on the table. She then rushed out and up to her bedroom because she was embarrassed by what she had just said and wished that she hadn't said it.

Eddie got up to go upstairs and speak to his daughter but Rachel stopped him.

"Eddie why don't you just give her a bit of time to herself. She clearly just needs some more time to get her head around the idea."

Eddie thought that Rachel was probably right but he hated seeing his daughter so upset.

After a while Eddie went up to speak to his daughter. He knocked on the door and waited for her to say that he could come in. Taylor was just sat on her bed looking into thin air so Eddie went and sat by her.

"I thought you were okay with me and Rachel?" Eddie asked

"It's just hard when I'm used to having you all to myself"

"I know honey. Rachel won't change anything between us. I'll always always always be there for you, no matter what."

"You promise?"

"I promise honey. Now do you think you could come back downstairs for a bit. Rachel is really nice and I think you'd really like her if you gave her a chance"

"Okay"

Eddie walked back downstairs followed by Taylor and entered the lounge.

"Rachel, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for how rude I was at dinner"

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry about. I know how you must be feeling, but I promise you that I won't take your Dad away from you."

"I know"

"What are you doing tomorrow Taylor?"

"Nothing, why?"

"I thought that we could do something just the two of us, maybe go shopping or something?" Rachel asked

"Yes okay. Is that alright Dad?"

"Of course it is honey" Eddie replied feeling glad that Taylor was giving Rachel a chance

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